Mike.Kan@f31.n343.z1.FIDONET.ORG (Mike Kan) (05/04/91)
Earlier I had sent a message asking about the failure rate of Seiko monitors. I received virtually no messages back (except some saying that they were interested in responses). I went ahead and bought one. Below is a quasi-review. ====== I bought a Seiko CM-1445 monitor (color) from someone I knew from dBUG (a Mac user group in Seattle). The monitor came from ComputerLand, OR. It cost me about $620 after paying freight. I had called several mail order places and found that freight costs varied from $35 to $50. . There are Seiko models 1440 and 1450 - VGA models. InfoWorld did an article this year on the VGA model (forgot which) and it was a close 2nd out of 11 monitors tested. Infoworld said that the focus was slightly fuzzy in corners. I've looked on the 1445 and it looks as focused as anywhere else on the screen. . The Seiko 1445 itself got good marks in MacUser who rated it 4.5 mice. I have heard nothing but praise for the quality of the picture from dealers, consultants, etc. The one downside I heard was that the failure rate was abnormally high. This is a response I got from another bbs : > From Tom Jensen > I have heard of a series of mishaps with the earlier run of their >present line of 14" monitors (1440, 1450), though that was a while >back, and all of those who bought one recently that I know have been >happy with theirs. I have personally owned one of the older model >1430 for about a year, and have had no problem. I would not have a >problem buying one, if based simply on the reliability issue. . I posted a message to EchoMac and several bbs (no national ones other than Fidonet though). I have not received any reports of trouble with a Seiko monitor. Apparently the report came from someone who felt he got burnt once too often working on a low margin and then having to send some earlier defective monitors back. . There isn't much to say about installation. I dumped the monitor out of the box, plugged the power cord into the Mac, the monitor cord to the monitor port, turned everything on and then read the manual. The manual told me common sense stuff along the lines of 'Do not use product while taking a shower'. The support number is NOT toll-free. . Technical stuff: * Black Trinitron CRT with .01 inch (.25 mm) aperture grille * 35 Khz horizontal scan rate (Scan rates = Apple's) * 66.7 Hz vertical scan rate * Active screen area = 9.5 x 7.25 inches (Apple's is x 7 inches) * 640 x 480 pixel resolution (72 dpi) * "Infinite array of colors from RGB input, limited by video source" (on the Mac IIsi that translates into 256 colors) * Color, Brightness, Power switch on right side of monitor. * Auto degaussing * Tilt/Swivel stand that you can't take off. * 100 NITs vs. Apple 13" monitor's 70 NITs NIT is a measure of brightness. I'm told that as brightness is turned up, focus/clarity goes down. A monitor capable of a higher brightness would presumably be clearer at brighter levels. Probably just marketing hype though. ========== Mike Kan ========== -- Mike Kan - via FidoNet node 1:105/14 UUCP: ...!{uunet, reed}!glacier!busker!343!31!Mike.Kan INTERNET: Mike.Kan@f31.n343.z1.FIDONET.ORG